What is the average rent in Austin?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Austin city centre costs approximately USD 1,924 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to USD 1,288 (saving 33%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around USD 3,611.

Is Austin affordable to live in?

Austin is expensive by global standards. Groceries are affordable, restaurants are average, and local purchasing power is strong.

🇺🇸 TX, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in Austin

Q: How expensive is Austin compared to the rest of United States?

Austin ranks #77 out of 577 cities globally. It is 1.6% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 43.1 and local purchasing power is 167.7.

Close to the United States average

Ranked #77 of 577 cities · More expensive than 86.7% of cities worldwide

-1.6%

Cost of Living

+4.4%

Rent

-9.9%

Groceries

+16.3%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking →

Rent Prices in Austin

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	USD 1,924/mo	USD 1,288/mo	33%
3-Bedroom	USD 3,611/mo	USD 2,571/mo	29%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in Austin

Groceries

Item	Price	Sources
Apples (1kg)	$5.01	1 source
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)	$2.78	1 source
Bread (500g)	$3.57	1 source
Local cheese (1kg)	$11.89	1 source
Chicken (1kg)	$12.67	1 source
Cigarettes (Marlboro)	$9.64	1 source
Milk (1L)	$0.92	1 source
Wine (mid-range)	$15.00	1 source

Apples (1kg)

$5.01

Beer (0.5L, supermarket)

$2.78

Bread (500g)

$3.57

Local cheese (1kg)

$11.89

Chicken (1kg)

$12.67

Cigarettes (Marlboro)

$9.64

Milk (1L)

$0.92

Wine (mid-range)

$15.00

Restaurants

Item	Price	Sources
Draft beer (0.5L)	$7.00	1 source
Cheap meal	$20.00	1 source
Mid-range dinner (2 people)	$80.00	1 source

Draft beer (0.5L)

$7.00

Cheap meal

$20.00

Mid-range dinner (2 people)

$80.00

Leisure

Item	Price	Sources
Cinema ticket	$15.00	1 source
Gym membership	$66.61	1 source

Cinema ticket

$15.00

Gym membership

$66.61

Transportation

Item	Price	Sources
Gasoline (1L)	$0.73	1 source
Taxi start	$2.75	1 source
Monthly pass	$41.25	1 source

Gasoline (1L)

$0.73

Taxi start

$2.75

Monthly pass

$41.25

Clothing & Shoes

Item	Price	Sources
Sport shoes (Nike)	$89.17	1 source
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)	$41.43	1 source

Sport shoes (Nike)

$89.17

Summer dress (Zara/H&M)

$41.43

Utilities

Item	Price	Sources
Basic utilities (85m²)	$194.54	1 source

Basic utilities (85m²)

$194.54

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Austin has a cost of living index of 56.8 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

56.8

Index

Sources

4.9

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

57.6

Expatistan

54.0

LivingCost

58.9

ShouldIMove price index

No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

View all 577 cities | Data collected: Numbeo October 2026 · Expatistan March 2026 · LivingCost October 2026

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

-1.6% Average

Rent

+4.4% Average

Groceries

-9.9% Affordable

Restaurants

+0.2% Average

Purchasing Power

+16.3% Strong

Living in Austin: What to Expect

Austin is expensive by global standards (ranked #77 of 577 cities). It is 1.6% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are affordable and dining out is average. The best value is groceries and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Cost of Living in Austin

Rent Prices in Austin

Prices of Goods & Services in Austin

Groceries

Restaurants

Leisure

Transportation

Clothing & Shoes

Utilities

Multi-Source Comparison

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Cost Indices

Living in Austin: What to Expect

How Does Austin Compare?

Planning a Move to Austin?